New 'Indivisible' movement gains traction on Cape and Islands

A national anti-President Trump political movement has established a significant beachhead here in recent months, and it’s taking a page straight from the Tea Party playbook.

Indivisible, a collection of local groups dedicated to “resisting the Trump agenda,” now has more than 1,200 members in at least four groups in the region.

The movement took flight in December when a group of former congressional staffers issued “A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda.”

The 26-page guide serves as a blueprint for groups to replicate the Tea Party’s success, albeit from a progressive slant, to reach members of Congress at town hall events, at public appearances, by visiting district offices and making phone calls.

“If a small minority in the Tea Party could stop President Obama, then we the majority can stop a petty tyrant named Trump,” the guide states.

It also refers to Trump as “the biggest popular-vote loser in history to ever call himself President.”

Indivisible groups are up and running on the Mid-Cape, Lower Cape, Outer Cape and Nantucket.

“I’m gobsmacked,” said Bert Jackson, of Brewster, a founder of Lower Cape Indivisible, about the membership growth and interest in the organization since its formation in January.

Jackson said he and three other men started the group because “we were all pretty distraught at how things were turning out,” and while there were only 17 RSVPs for an organizational meeting, 120 people attended. The second meeting in February attracted 240 people, and more than 100 volunteered to participate on six committees.

He said membership in the group is inclusive and all are welcome regardless of political party affiliation.

Not just about Trump

A major focus of Indivisible is working to influence members of Congress with high-touch tactics, leading one to question the need for Indivisible in Massachusetts, which has an all-Democratic delegation.

“We are somewhat blessed because our federal delegation is more or less in line with our objectives,” Jackson said. “We’re not in Oklahoma.”

If U.S. Rep. William Keating, D-Mass., were to hold a local “town hall” event, Jackson said Indivisible would not hold a sit-in or protest, but would attend to offer support and “have his back.”

Brian Frederick, associate professor and chairman of the political science department at Bridgewater State University, warns Indivisible groups not to be complacent just because their federal delegation may be all Democratic.

“Just because a Representative or Senator is a Democrat doesn’t mean they would be lock, stock and barrel against Trump. Just look at Sen. Warren’s initial support for Ben Carson (for HUD Secretary),” he said, adding that wealthy donors, strong Washington consensus on an issue and desire to create support from the other side of the aisle for personal interests all influence political decisions.

Frederick believes the success of Indivisible groups depends on which battles they choose to fight.

“They need to be focused on policies they oppose versus policies they want to see enacted,” Frederick said. “As long as they can show there is a critical mass of people opposed to a policy, they will be successful.”

Local Indivisible groups are also focusing on influencing different levels of state and local government, where there are a mix of Democrats and Republicans in elected positions, including recruiting candidates for these offices, according to Jackson.

The local Indivisible groups, Jackson said, are not necessarily “just about Trump,” but are concerned about cabinet members, corporate influence on government and policy reversals, including Internet privacy, health care and EPA regulations.

“The foxes are in the hen house,” he said.

Tea Party critics

Teena Loftin established Indivisible Nantucket and said it has connected many groups within the community, including Democrats, Republicans and independents. Indivisible Nantucket has already formed an immigration support group, held a class on Constitutional rights and will host Keating on the island on April 7.

“People wanted a sense of hope because there was a real sense of upset and shock that what this person (Trump) stands for was being embraced by the country,” said Jill Ross, who founded Indivisible Mid-Cape and is acting as the glue to unite the local groups by coordinating meetings to support each other’s work.

Former two-time Republican Congressional candidate Mark Alliegro, of Falmouth, who founded the Upper Cape Tea Party, was candid in his assessment of Indivisible comparing itself to that movement.

“No media outlet in MA wanted to know anything about the Tea Party for 8 years, but preferred to just characterize these good people as racist, extremist, and polyphobic,” he wrote in an email to the Times. “Now, with the formation of these racist, extremist, leftist cells ... all of a sudden people are interested in Tea Party principles? The comparison is almost as laughable as the sudden interest.”

Linda Zuern, Bourne’s delegate to the Barnstable Assembly of Delegates and member of the Upper Cape Tea Party, doesn’t agree with the comparison, either.

Zuern said Indivisible appears to be funded, well-organized and connected — things the Tea Party was not.

“We never had guidelines and were never connected with each other,” she said. “Each group was just concerned people getting together with a mission of educating themselves with guest speakers. It wasn’t about getting people elected, it was about helping maintain the Constitution.”

In the wake of the 2016 election, other political action groups, including Cape & Islands Stronger Together and Engage Falmouth, have formed in the region.

Cape and Islands District state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, is excited about his constituents becoming inspired enough to establish or join these groups.

“I’m really happy to see the level of grass-roots organizing that’s happening on the Cape and Islands in reaction to what’s happening nationally,” Cyr said. “A lot of these people are new to organizing. I hope we’ll see people emerge from these groups and run for elected offices.”

Calls and email messages to the Massachusetts Republican Party and Cape and Islands Republican State Committeeman Francis Manzelli were not returned.

Efforts to reach a representative from Indivisible Outer Cape were unsuccessful.